Stack sustaining and separating device



1,512,050 J. w. TYOWNSEND STACK SUSTAINING AND SEPARATING DEVICE Filed Sept. 29. 1923 IHHIQHH l||||||| l Inventw;

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Patented Get. 21, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. TOWNSEND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN LITHOGRAPHIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

STACK SUSTAINING AND SEPARATING DEVICE.

Application filed September 29, 1923. Serial No. 665,620.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN WV. TOWNSEND,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, borough of Bronx, in the 8 county of Bronx and State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Improvernents in Stack Sustaining and Separating Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stack sustaining and separating devices, and has for its object to provide a device of the class specified, simple in construction and efficient in operation. Particular features of adaptability and efficiency will be pointed out in detail herein.

The preferred embodiment of my improvements is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a plan View of so much of a guillotine paper cutter as will suffice to illustrate the. use of my device, to which it is applied. Fig. 2 is a front elevation corresponding with Fig. 1, except the clamp bar is omitted. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section on line 33 of Fig. 1. Figs. 1 and 2 are to one scale and Fig. 3 is to a much larger scale.

The present improvements are ,articularly directed to facilitating the ban ling of stacks of strips of sheet material, such as paper or cardboard, in a cutting press, in which said strips are to be cut into short lengths. The device is particularly adapted for use in connection with the cutting up of sheets, previously printed with a plurality of regularly arranged designs, into an equal plurality of cards, each bearing one of said designs.

40 The cutting of said sheets into strips is a relatively simple operation and is antecedent to the use of my improvements. The maintenance of a row of piles of stacks of strips, particularly if said strips be narrow, is attended with considerable difliculty and commonly results in more or less waste due to the shifting of the piles under the successive clamp-ing and releasing of the clamp bar. This also causes the stacks to interleave and otherwise to get out of register. The draw or drag of the descending knife also disarranges the free ends of the stacks, even when those stacks are clamped to the table. My improved device the sixteen strips shown.

efficiently obviates these several difficulties and reduces the spoilage to a minimum. Directing attention now to the drawin side frames 2, i of the cutting press are adapted for guiding knife 5 for vertical and angular reciprocation. Directly behind knife 5 is bar 6 adapted for clamping a stack of sheets or several stacks of strips, as 7, 8, 9, onto table 10 near the front ends ofsaid stacks. At the rear ends of said stacks is back gage 11 comprising the usual row of forwardly reaching fingers, as 12, 12. Said back gage is moved forwardly from time to time toward knife 5 for urging said stacks of strips under said knife, in position for being cut.

My improved sustaining and separating device comprises means for engaging the upper faces of the stacks and the end of that stuck most remote from side frame 2, against which the left hand stack of the row of stacks is closely pressed, the succeeding rows standing snugly against their next left hand adjacent stack, respectively." Said means for engaging said upper faces and said right hand end comprises an angular frame 13 which maylconveniently be formed of top member 13 and end member I 13, held together by screws, as 14:. Top member 13 has a length slightly less than the aggregate width of-a given plurality of strips, such for instance as the width of End member 13 has a height slightly less than the height of a stack, as stack 9. Top member 13 is held in operative position on top of the stacks of strips and adjacent their rear ends by means of one or more arms, preferably two, 15, 16, which may be secured to said member 13 by screws, as 17. Said arms extend rearwardly from member 13 and each removably engages two adjacent fingers, as 12, 12, respectively, of back gage 11.

By this means said frame 13 is held securely in position against the top and right hand end of the bank of stacks. Top member 13 is provided with a series of narrow slots, as 18, 19, 20, extending inwardly from its front edge and penetrating about half the width of said member. Said slots correspond in number and position with the divisions between the several stacks and are adapted to receive blades, as 21, 22, 23, and to guide and sustain those blades in vertical tion, provide a reference for resetting from' time to time the front ends of the stacks, where they are being cut, and which front ends become more or less deranged by the drag of the knife even though those front ends are held down by bar 6.

While only three blades, 21, 22, 23, are shown, it-will be understood that more blades may be used between other contiguous pile edges if desired. When the strips are very narrow a greater number of blades are used.

It will also be understood that a diiferent frame 13 is needed when narrower or wider strips are to be cut, and that the spacing of the slots, as 18, 19, 20, is made to correspond with the Width of said narrower or wider strips. As said frame is preferably constructed of wood and is of small cost, 7 such duplicate frames, corresponding in slot spacing with various requirements, can be kept on hand.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character specified the combination of a' frame adapted for engaging the top and end of a plurality of stacks of strips arranged side by side, means for holdmg said frame in operatlve position, said frame having a vertical slot there through, and ablade having a thickness adapted for filling said slot widthwise, said blade being adapted for penetrating downwardly between two adjacent stacks for separating said stacks and for maintaining them in position.

2. In a device of the character specified the combination of a frame adapted for engaging the top and end of a plurality of stacks of-strips arranged side by side, means for hold11 1g said fram 1n operatlve position,

said frame having a plurality of vertical slots therethrough, and a plurality of blades adapted for entering said slots respectively and being sustained in vertical position thereby, said blades being efiicient for penetrating downwardly between said stacks respectively for separating said stacks and for maintaining them in upright position.

3. In a device of the.- character specified the combination of a frame comprising a top member and an end member adapted for engaging the top and end respectively of a plurality of stacks of strips arranged side by side, aback gage, means carried byv said frame for engaging said back gage for holding said frame relatively to said stacks of;

strips, said top member having a plurality of vertical slots therethrough and the spacing of said slots corresponding with the width of said strips, and a plurality of blades adapted for entering said slots respectively.v

and being sustained in vertical position thereby, said blades being efiicient for penetrating downwardly between said stacksrespectively for separating said stacks and for maintaining them in upright position. I i

4. In a device of the character specified7 7 the combination of a frame comprising-atop member and an end member adapted for engaging the top and end respectively of a plurality of stacks of strips arranged side. by side, a back gage having a plurality of forwardly reaching fingers, an arm fixed to said top member for removably engaging two ad acent fingers of said back gage, said top member having a plurality of vertical.

slots there-through and the spacing of said slots corresponding with the width of said strips, and a plurality of blades adapted for entering said slots respectivelyv and being sustained in vertical 'position thereby, said,

blades being efiicient for penetrating downwardly between said stacks respectively for separating said stacks and for maintaining them in upright position.

In witness whereof, I hereby aflix signature this 26th day ofSeptember, 1923. JOHN WV. TOWNSEND. 

